Digging and elevating mechanism.



N. T. HARMON.

DIGGIING AND ELEVATING MECHA NISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 17. 1914.

Patented June 27, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Attorneys,

rm: COLUMBIA I'LANOGRAP c0.. WASHINGTON. D- C.

N. T. HARMON. DIGGING AND ELEVATINfi'MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV-17.1914- Patented June 27, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. Attorneys.

Witnesses YQWW 6. 7%

%TAT% NATHAN 'r. I-IARMON, or LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

DIGGING AND ELEVATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2 7, 1916.

Application filed November 17,1914. Serial No. 872,615.

17 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN T. HARMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Digging and Elevating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in a digging and elevating mechanism, one object of the invention, being the provision of a mechanism of this'character adapted to be used in connection with digging cylindrical holes in the ground, as for instance, fence posts and wells, there being provided a rotary auger member embodying a dirt receptacle in combination with a 'conveying mechanism operably connected therewith and disposed for movement into and out of the receptacle whereby the earth loosened and cut by the auger and deposited within the receptacle may be automatically removed therefrom during the rotation of the auger member.

A further object of the present invention, is the provision of a shaft carrying such auger member that is extensible, so that the length thereof may be increased as the hole is being dug. h

A still further object of the invention, is the provision of a novel form of derrick by means of which the shaft and the auger and its receptacle may be properly supported during the operation thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the-spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation taken from the operating side thereof. Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the auger carrying shaft, the auger and its receptacle and the-dirt elevating mechanism. Fig. 4: is a section taken through the receptacle and auger carrying member at right angles to that shown in Fig. 3, the elevator mechanism being shown in elevation. a cross "s'eotidn "taken through the -"recep- Fig. 5 is tacle. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the swivel connection to the auger carrying shaft. Fig. 7 is a cross section through the shaft showing the position of the gear and socket carrying members of the elevating mechanism.

-Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the base of the present structure, which consists of the two standards 2 and the two standards 8, the upper ends of which are connected together by means of the platform a. Connected between the two standards 2 is the cross bar 4 which has journaled therein for rotation, the sleeve 5 of the bevel gear6, said bevel gear 6 and sleeve 5 having passedtherethrough, the vertical rotatory and longitudinally slidable shaft 7, which is provided with a key-way 8 for engagement with the key (not shown) carried by the sleeve 5 and gear 6. By this means as the gear 6 is rotated, rotatory movement is imparted to the shaft 7 The bevel gear 9 is in mesh with the gear 6 and through the shaft 10 and pulley 11 constitutes the driving means to rotate the shaft 7. A belt 12 is passed over the pulley 11, and is operated by the pulley 13 fixed upon the shaft 14 which is journaled at one side of one standard 2 and the adjacent standard 3, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. For operating the shaft 14: there is disposed upon one end the operating wheel 15, which in the present instance is shown as a manually operated device, although it is apparent that the same may be operated mechanically through an explosion engine or other device.

Mounted for sliding movement within the guide slot S formed in the inner faces of the standards 2, is a rod 16, which is connected to and carries the fixed sleeve 17, through which the shaft 7 passes, said sleeve 17 being provided with the bevel pinion 18 which is thus held against rotation. This bevel gear 18 is in mesh at all times with the two bevel pinions 19 and 19 each one of which is provided with its respective sprocket 20 or 20. These pinions 19 and 19 and their "sprockets are mounted for rotation upon the oppos'itely extending arms 21 of the sleeve 22, which is adapted to surround and be fixed to the shaft 7, so that when the shaft 7 is rotated, the pinions 19 19 are also rota ed by their engage ment with the fixed gear 18, the detail construction of which is illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus the two gears 19 and 19 will be retated in opposite directions and in turn operate the sprockets 20 and 20' in opposite directions.

Mounted upon the lower end of the shaft 7, is the earth engaging auger 23, while forming the bottom of the receptacle and also rotatable with the shaft 7, is the cutter portion 24 which constitutes an anger by means of which when the shaft 7 is rotated the receptacle 25 is also rotated as is the auger 23 and the cutter 24. Thus the dirt is cut from below the receptacle 25 and enters through the spaces formed by the cutter 24 into such receptacle to there be removed as later appears.

Fixed upon the shaft 7 within the receptacle 25 is the sleeve 26, which carries the two oppositely extending arms 27, there being mounted for independent rotation upon the arms 27 the two sprocket wheels 28 and 28. These sprocket wheels 28 and 28 are disposed to aline with the sprockets 20 and 20 respectively, so that the two sprocket chains 29 and 29 which are alined to engage the respective sprockets 20 and 2S and 20 and 28, will have movement imparted thereto so that the diagonally opposite strands thereof will be moving in the same direction as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 3 and 4.

Carried by the respective chains29 and 29 are the dirt receiving and removing pockets 30 which are adapted to be emptied after passing over the shaft 21 into the trough T, so as to be delivered away from the shaft 7. It will thus be seen that as the shaft 7 is rotated, the proper action is imparted to the conveyers 29 and 29 so that the earth filling the receptacle 25 due to the cutting thereof by the cutter will be removed from the receptacle 25 as rapidly as the same accumulates therein. Thus as the receptacle 25 forms an auxiliary wall for the cut during the making thereof, the earth within the receptacle removed, will in the final operation leave the bore clean cut from the top to the bottom.

The shaft 7 is a sectional shaft, so that as the bore is deepened, new lengths may be added thereto to any desired extent.

In order to provide a means for moving the shaft 7 longitudinally either to permit the receptacle 25 to be lowered or to be elevated as desired,'the upper end of the shaft 7 at '31 is reduced for fitting the sleeve 32, which is rotatably mounted thereon and constitutes a swivel joint at such connection, the nuts 38 being disposed to lock the members in place so that the bail 34 which is attached to the sleeve 32 may be properly connected to the cable 35 and thus be properly manipulated vertically relatively to the structure. The cable 35 is passed over the pulley 36, which is journaled at the apex of the V- shaped member 37, whose offset ends are connected to the securing means 38 upon the upper surface of the platform 4 for swinging movement so that the member 37 which with the leg 39 forms a tripod or derrick, may be collapsed when it is desired to transport the present mechanism. The upper end of the member 39 is connected by the bail 40 to the apex of the member 37, while the lower end thereof is mounted within the securing member 41 to the upper portion of the platform 4.

The cable 36 is connected to the winding drum 42, which is fixed upon a shaft 43 journaled between the supports or standards 3, said shaft having fixed upon one end adjacent the shaft 14, the gear 44, which meshes with the worm 45 carried by the shaft 14. It will thus be seen that as the shaft 14 is operated to impart rotation to the shaft 7, that a slow motion will beimparted to the drum 42 to permit of the gradual lowering of the shaft 7 and the auger member carried thereby. Thus as the auger member is rotated to out the earth, the shaft will be lowered in timed relation thereto.

A reverse operation of the shaft 14 will cause the elevation of the shaft 7 and thus permit the auger member to be elevated from the bore.

What is claimed is: In a machine of the character described, the combination of a supporting structure, a vertically slidable rotary shaft, means for rotating the shaft, a receptacle carriedby the lower end of the shaft to cut and hold the dirt, two pairs of outstanding arms attached to the shaft, one pair within the receptacle and the other pair above thesame, sprocket wheels mounted for rotation upon said arms, endless sprocket chainstrained over said sprocket wheels and having buckets, bevel gears carried by the upper sprocket wheels, and a stationary bevel gear carried by the supporting structure and meshing with the aforesaid bevel gears, whereby when said shaft is rotated, the sprocket chain is operated, the receptacle having a central depending auger and slots extending radially from the auger between the lower sprocket wheels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NATHAN T. HARMON.

Witnesses:

Jon RIORDAN, ALBERT WERNER.

Copies of thirpatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. c." 

